Process and apparatus for storing liquids



Oct.r 31, 1944.

R. B. MCKINNIS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR STORING LIQUIDS Filed'oct. 11,1959 2 sheets-sheet 1,

iOI.V31,1944. RQBMCKINNIS -2,3G1,64o

PROCESS AND APPARATUS `FOR STORING I IIOUD'S Filed oct. 11, 1959 iz'sngts-sheet 2 OITRs FRUIT-JUICE LARGE CAPACITY INERT GAs FROM OXYGENFREE REUSABLE CONTAINER I ExTRACTOR r I STERILIzING` THE sTERILIzINGCONTAINER I INERTGAs- AND GAS LINES BY RE CIRCULATION OF HOT FLASHPASTEURIZING JUICE WATR COOLING GAG I sTERILIzEO CONTAINER AANOSIMULTANEOUGLY FILLING I WITH STERILE INE'RT GAS FILLING STERILIZEDINERT GAS FILLED CONTAINER WITH STERILE,OXYGEN FREE JUICE TO APREDETERMINED AMOUNT DISPLACING GAS CLOSING OFF AND Y DISCONNECTINGCONTAINER SANITARILY SEALING CONTAINER FOR SHIPMENT OR STORAGE Ptemedocr. 31, 1944 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR STORING LIQUIDS Ronald B.Mexinms, winter Haven, F1a.

Application October'll, 1939, Serial No. 299,022

. 2 claims.

My invention relates to lling containers, and particularly to iillingcontainers with sterile, unoxidized liquids.

My invention relates more particularly to the storing of fruit andvegetable juices, such as orange and grapefruit juice. At present, thefour general ways of distributing fruit juices are 1) by canning orbottling, (2) by concentrating and canning, or bottling, or freezing,(3) by freezing and maintaining low temperatures, and (4) by shippingthe fresh fruit and extracting the juice near the place of use. 'I'hesemethods apply not only to the juice in natural unsweetened form, but itis obvious that'diluted preparations, or mixtures, can be distributed byall methods except the fourth method above outlined.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a means'for storing inbulk, unoxidized, sterile liquids, such as juices of vegetables andfruits, for instance orange and grapefruit juice. 'Ihe juices may be innatural concentration, or they. may be concentrated or diluted.

A further object of the invention is to pro, vide means for storing apredetermined amount of juice, thus providing means for readily shippinga predetermined amount in a container.

Another object of the invention is to store fruit or vegetable juice inlarge size bulk containers in such a manner that refrigeration is notnecessary. I

As above set forth, not only* is it a purpose to supply means forstoring in sterile condition oxygen-free juice, but also means areprovided for withdrawal of the juice in a sterile oxygen-free condition.

My process and apparatus permit the stored liquids to retain theirsterility, their natural flavor, and food value over several months timeWithout use of refrigeration. Moreover, apparatus is used which iseasily repaired and replaced. 'I'he process employed is simple to carryout, and ecient in operation.

By means of this invention, new methods for distributing fruit juicesare for the first time made available and practical. By using thisinvention, orange juice may be stored in tanks with or Withoutrefrigeration until needed for canning or bottling. Means for sterilecanning arenot now commercially available, but bottling means have beenin use for several years and may be practical for this particularpurpose..

Instead of packaging the juice direct froml the tank, it may be combinedwith sterile water, sterile sugar 'solution and any other ingredientsproperly sterilized to produce a sterile ade to be bottled in asterilecondition, or to be bottled with allowable preservatives, or iilled intomilktype bottles to be delivered in the distribution channels now usedfor orangeade in such bottles.

At the present time,much orange juice is being concentrated and sold todairies or other establishmentsI for the making of orangeade to be soldin milk-type bottles. It is well known that the evaporation processremoves all of the natural aroma and leaves a fiat-tasting product, and

that,` so far, it has been impossible to concentrate and at the sametime avoid this serious objection. Many manufacturers of orangeade havepreferred to extract the juice from the fruit themselves at the time thejuice is needed so as to obtain a better product. However, good freshfruit is available during only a portion of the year, and during a partof that time the prices are for a scarcity item.

By my system, juice may be extracted from the fruit where the fruit isgrown and then stored or shipped in suitabletanks. These filled tanks 'ycan be stored until needed,- and can be used any number of times. Theycan be constructed so that they can be loaded and unloaded from truckson which they are transported.

My preferable procedure is to pasteurize the juice before it goes intothe tanks, but if means were available for the producing of sterilejuice from sterile fruit Without heating the juice, such asystem couldbe used.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an apparatus assemblycarrying out the process of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the valve for maintainingjuice in sterile condition in the container.

my process.

The juice, such as citrous fruit juice, is ob tained oxygen-free fromthe extractor and may =be then ash pasteurized and cooled, or thejuicemay be used without ash pasteurization and cooling, provided it canbe obtained in sterile form from the extractor.

A large-capacity reusable container is -sterilized, and the gas linesleading to and from it l Fig. 3 is a ow sheet illustrating one form of'previously sterilized and' gas and the oxygen-free sterile juice isintroduced into the container to a predetermined amount displacing thegas. The container is then closed and disconnected and, thus sealed, maybe shipped or stored.

The above described process is obvious from an inspection of the flowsheet.

Referring now to-the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2,

l I have shown a large-capacity reusable container I, which is providedwith a cleaning opening 2 having a closure plate 3 thereon. Mounted onthe closure plate 3 is a short length of conduit 6l, which carries avalve 5 to be later described in more detail. At the bottom of thecontainer is a short section of conduit 5, which carries a valve 1similar to the valve 5.

The container l rests on a support 3, having a fulcrum 9, which bearsagainst one end of a scale beam lll, having an adjustable weigh., IIadapted to be moved along the beam, so that a desired weight of liquidmay be introduced into the' container l. The scale beam is pivoted onits lower side on a pivot i2.

The valve 1 is connected to a length of pipe I3, which joins with atwo-way valve I4. The twoway valve itl is connected to a section I5,which operates as a drain, and to a pipe section I6 which connects to atwo-way valve 1. From the two-way valve I1 there is a coil I8, whichleads through a heat exchanger I9 for either heating or cooling theliquid. The coil I8, through a length of pipe 20, is connected to ajuice pump 2l, which draws a supply of sterile, unoxidized juice throughthe line 22 from some suitab 1 source of supply. l

Connected to the two-Way valve l1 is a sec- `tionof pipe 23, which leadsto a reversible water pump 2d, connected through a line-25 to a two-wayvalve 26.

' The two-way valve 26 is connected to a discharge pipe 21 and to adischarge line 28 leading from a hot water supply tank 29. The hot watersupply tank 29 may be supplied with wa-' ter through a line 39controlled by a valve 3l. Means are not .shown for heating the Water inthe hot water supply tank 29, but any suitable means of heating may beemployed. In fact, the water may be delivered from the line 39 at asumcient temperature to cause the water to effectively sterilize theapparatus.

Connected to the sanitary valve 5, which is, as before stated, .similarin construction to the sanitary valve 1, is a line 32 which is connectedto a coil 33 in a gas cooler element 34.' Connected to the coil 33 is aline 35, which terminates in a two-way valve 36. Leading into thetwo-way valve 36 is aline 31, which is adapted to discharge-into the hotwater supply tank 29. Also leading into the two-way valve -36 Lis asection of pipe 38 connected to a gas sterilizer 39, which is suppliedwith gas through a gas line 40, in which is located a control valve 4I.

The sanitary valves and 1 are similar in construction. The valve 5. willbe described, and it is to be understood that the valve 1 is substan-ltially identical. Valve 5, as has been explained,

44. The sanitary plug iscovered with a holding cap 46, which isscrew-threaded in place and is adapted to compress the sanitary plug 45rmmeans of bolts for other suitable attaching means,

not shown. Between the extension 41 and the valve body 42 is positioneda flexible diaphragm 48, which may be of rubber or any other suitablematerial. There is a plunger member 49 mounted within the member 41which is adapted to be reciprocated in that member by means of ascrewthreaded shaft 59, which lis held in place by means of a screw plug5I, which fits into an aperture in the plunger member 59.

The screw threaded shaft 59 fits within a screw threaded element 52,which is keyed to and adapted to revolve with the valve operating wheel53. The member 52 is provided wit'n a shoulder 54 which bears at itsupper side against a seat formed in the member 31.

The sanitary valve 5 is so constructed that, by turning the valveoperated wheel 53 so that the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 2,the diaphragm i8 will be pressed tightly against the upwardly extendingportion 33 of the valve body 32. This seals the line il which leads intothe lcontainer I, and prevents access of any oxidizing In operation, theiirst step is to thoroughly sterilize the apparatus, which isaccomplished by is connected to a short length of pipe 4 which leadsinto the cover 3 of the cleaning man hole 2of`the reusable container I.'I 'he valve has a body 42 having an interior raised portion A43.

The valve body 42 terminates in an extension 44, which may be coupled tothe line 32,'which in 2 is shown closed by a sanitary plug 45, whichfits into the beveled end of the extension filling the apparatus and thelines with hot water or other suitable fluid. Hot water from the hotwater supply 29 is withdrawn through the line 28, the valve 26, the line25, and is pumped by pump 24 into the line 23. The valve I1 is set sothat the hot water passes through the line I6, the valve I4, the lineI3, the valve 1 and through the short line 6 into the Container I.

The container I is lled with hot sterilizing water and the water rises,completely filling the container, and forcing the water out through theline 4, the sterile valve 5, the line 32, coil 33, and

' line 35. From the line 35, the hot water is forced liquid with asterile, non-oxidizing or inert gas.

The gas is introduced through the line 40, the valve 4I being set topermit passage of the gas into the gas sterilizer 39, through the pipe38 to the valve 36,which is yso adjusted as to permit the sterilized gasto pass fromthejline 33 into the line 35, through the coil 33 in the gascooler 34, where it is reduced tothedesired temperature, whence the gaspasses down" through line 32, valve, 5, and line 4, into the containerI.

Water is being forced out ahead of the sterile gas through the line 6,the valve 1, the line I3, the valve I4, the line I6, the valve I1, theline 23, the pump 24, the valve 26, and-the line 21 or 28. The valvesare so set as to permit the liquid to flow in the direction indicatedfThe-gas is allowed to ilow until all of the lines are completely purgedo! the liquid. The pump 2l has been reversed in its operation to suckthe water out of the apparatus ahead of the sterile, inert gasintrodueed into the apparatus.

When the apparatus no longer contains any Water, it will be found to befull oi.' inert, unoxidizing, sterile gas. The reversible pump 2l isshut oil. Valve 3i is adjusted to permit free ilow of gas between pipes35 and 31. The juice pump 2l is started, and sterile non-oxidized .Iuiceis drawn through Athe line 22 from some suitable source, :forced intothe line 2l up through heat exchanger I9, wherein the juice ln the coilIl is either heated or coled, `depending upon how the process is to berun. Let us assume that the juice is reduced in temperature, since it ismore practical to reduce the temperature of hot juice in a heatexchanger than in such a tank as shownA The valve i1 is adjusted topermit ilow of the sterile juice from the coil I8 to the line i8,

' through valve III to line Il, valve l, and line I, A into thecontainer I. The inert gas in the container I, and in the lines justdescribed, is forced out ahead of the juice. As indicated by the arrows,this gas passes out through valve l, the coil 33 in the gas cooler, andout through line 31 (see dotted arrow).

When the container I has been illled sutil-- ciently with liquid, ascale beam will indicate this condition. The sanitary valve 1 is shutand the two-way valve 3l is turned so as to charge the container withgas and provide a positive pressure of a few pounds, ysutllcient toprevent subsequent creation of a vacuum hy solution of the gas,condensation of vapors or decrease of temperature. After the containerhas been charged vwith gas, valve Il is closed completely, after whichsanitary valve i is closed. The container may be removed, and the valvesand 1 capped for shipment or storage.

The non-oxidized, sterile juice in the container I can be kept withoutrefrigeration for a long v the one lust removed, and the processrepeated.

It is to be understood that, in order to prevent a high vacuum in thecontainer I, I will provide for a. method and apparatus to introduce gasunder pressure into the container after it; has been iilled to theproper level.

Carbon dioxide is highly soluble in the juice; nitrogen is much lesssoluble.` I may use nitrogen, or a mixture oi' nitrogen and carbondioxide.

While I have shown and described the' preferred embodiment of myinevntion, I wish it to be understood that I do not coniine myseli' tothe precise details of construction herein set forth i by way ofillustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may bemade therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from thespirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a method of packaging oxidizable juice such as fruit or vegetablejuices, the steps of admitting a sterilizng liquid into a sealablecontainer, introducing an inert gas to displace the liquid, displacingthe inert gas by the admission of juice into the container, charging thecontainer with additional gas to provide after sealv ing a substantiallyatmospheric pressure within the container after the container is sealed,and sealing the container.

2. A method of iilling a container with a juice subject to oxidationsuch as fruit or vegetable juices, comprising the steps of introducinginto a sealable container a hot sterilizing liquid, then removing thehot sterlizing liquid by replacing the said liquid with an inert gas,displacing the inert gas with heatcd sterilized juice, charging thecontainer with additional gas to provide after sealing a substantiallyatmospheric pressure within the container after the juice has cooled,and sealing the container.

RONALD B. MCKINNIS.

